Director of Marketing & Communications, Mehrotra Institute

The Ravi K. Mehrotra Institute for Business, Markets & Society at Boston University's Questrom School of Business is a hub for research, education, and public discourse on the evolving role of business in society. Launched in 2024, the Institute works across three pillars, Education, Discourse, and Research, producing nationally recognized content (including the Is Business Broken? podcast in partnership with WBUR), convening leading practitioners and scholars, and advancing curriculum that integrates business ethics and social impact into the Questrom experience. The Institute is growing rapidly and building its national external presence from the ground up.

 

The Mehrotra Institute seeks a Director of Marketing and Communications to develop and execute a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that elevates the Institute's visibility, translates its research and programming for diverse audiences, and builds its reputation as a nationally recognized voice on the role of business in markets and society.

The Mehrotra Institute is a small, high-ambition team where every director owns strategy and execution simultaneously. This is not a role for someone who manages communications vendors at arm's length or who expects a team beneath them. It requires hands-on writing, content production, media outreach, and strategic planning side by side. The right candidate is energized by the challenge of building something from the ground up, motivated by mission, and genuinely curious about the substantive issues the Institute works on.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this role serves as the primary communications strategist for all Institute stakeholders including faculty, students, practitioners, policymakers, donors, board members, media, and BU leadership. The Director will develop integrated strategies across channels, manage the Institute's digital presence, ensure that the Institute's research, events, and initiatives reach the audiences that matter most, and steward the Institute's brand and reputation in coordination with BU and Questrom central communications.

This is a builder role at an institute with significant national ambitions. The ideal candidate brings deep marketing and communications expertise, strong editorial judgment, comfort with media relations, a genuine interest in the substantive work of the Institute, and the ability to navigate a complex university environment while representing a mission-driven organization to the outside world.

 

1. Strategic Planning & Brand Stewardship - 20%

Develop and maintain a comprehensive marcom strategy encompassing all Institute stakeholders, both internal (faculty, students, staff, BU leadership, Questrom administration) and external (practitioners, policymakers, media, donors, board members, and the public). Specific responsibilities include:

• Translate the Institute's 5-year strategic plan into a cohesive communications architecture with clear goals, audiences, channels, and metrics

• Establish and enforce brand standards, ensuring consistency in voice and visual identity across all Institute outputs

• Serve as the Institute's primary communications strategist in close coordination with the Executive Director and Faculty Director

• Coordinate with Questrom central marketing and BU central communications to amplify Institute work while maintaining a distinct Institute identity

• Manage reactive and proactive communications and reputation stewardship, including communications related to all topics aligned with the Institute's mission

• Own communications performance metrics; report regularly to leadership on reach, engagement, and strategy effectiveness; use data to adjust approach

 

2. Research Translation & Public-Facing Content - 20%

Partner with Institute faculty and researchers to translate academic work into compelling content accessible to practitioners, policymakers, journalists, and broader public audiences. Specific responsibilities include:

• Develop vehicles for disseminating research findings, including written briefs, op-ed pitches, social content, and media outreach

• Commission and edit public-facing content that bridges academic rigor and public accessibility

• Build and maintain relationships with relevant media outlets, journalists, and policy organizations to extend the Institute's research reach

• Coordinate with BU's Office of Research communications team and The Brink (BU's research news platform) to amplify faculty work

• Position the Institute as a credible, accessible resource on business, markets, and society for non-academic audiences

 

3. National Visibility, Media Relations & Reputation - 20%

Develop and execute strategies to elevate the Institute's profile at the national level. Specific responsibilities include:

• Manage proactive media relations: pitch stories, respond to press inquiries, draft press releases, and build relationships with journalists covering business, policy, economics, and higher education

• Identify and pursue placement opportunities for the Executive Director, Faculty Director, and affiliated researchers in national media and public conversations

• Develop crisis communications and reputation management protocols for issues that may arise given the Institute's engagement with contested business and policy topics

• Represent the Institute's communications interests at relevant conferences, events, and professional networks

• Track and report on national visibility metrics and adjust strategies over time

 

4. Social Media & Digital Presence - 20%

Own and manage the Institute's digital presence and social media strategy. Specific responsibilities include:

• Develop and execute a social media strategy with primary emphasis on LinkedIn, Instagram, and other channels appropriate to the Institute's practitioner, student, and policy audiences

• Manage day-to-day content creation, scheduling, and community engagement across platforms

• Manage the Institute's website, ensuring content is current, well-organized, and optimized for search and target audiences

• Manage the Institute's CRM and email marketing infrastructure for audience segmentation and newsletter distribution

• Track digital performance metrics and use data to inform ongoing strategy

 

5. Event Marketing & Communications - 10%

Develop and execute marketing and communications strategies for Institute programming. Specific responsibilities include:

• Create integrated marketing campaigns for public convenings, conferences, podcast tapings, and executive education programming

• Manage promotional timelines, registration communications, and post-event follow-up in coordination with the Questrom central events team

• Ensure event marketing is integrated into the Institute's broader communications calendar and audience development goals

• Support Is Business Broken? podcast promotion, including the annual live taping at the WBUR Festival and other special events

 

6. Stakeholder & Partner Communications – 10%

Produce targeted communications for board members, donors, and institutional partners. Specific responsibilities include:

• Draft and manage communications to board members, major donors, BU leadership, and key institutional partners

• Support the Executive Director with development-related collateral, impact reports, and donor briefing materials

• Manage sponsor recognition deliverables and partner communications for Institute programming

• Serve as the Institute's communications liaison to the broader Questrom and BU community

• Produce practitioner and alumni network communications that build and sustain the Institute's external community

• Develop the institute’s annual report to be publicly shared on the website and via appropriate external channels

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in marketing, communications, journalism, public affairs, or a related field

• Seven or more years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, or brand strategy, ideally within higher education, research, media, policy, or a mission-driven organization

• Demonstrated ability to develop and lead integrated, multi-stakeholder communications strategies

• Strong writing and editing skills with the ability to produce and commission compelling content for diverse audiences

• Proven media relations experience: pitching stories, managing press inquiries, and building journalist relationships

• Experience managing social media platforms, website content management systems, and digital analytics tools

• Proven ability to translate complex or technical content into accessible, engaging public-facing material

• Experience working within or alongside a centralized communications or marketing function in a complex organization

• Demonstrated success operating with autonomy in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment

 

• Experience in or deep familiarity with the business, finance, policy, or academic media landscape

• Existing relationships with journalists, editors, or communications professionals working in relevant subject areas

• Experience in crisis communications or reputation management

• Experience supporting development communications, board relations, or donor stewardship

• Familiarity with podcast production and promotion

• Graduate degree in a relevant field

• Demonstrated substantive interest in the role of business in society, markets, governance, or related themes

 

• Evening/weekend work is expected around events and major convenings.

• Hybrid work may be possible in accordance with BU/Questrom policies and operational needs.